RESOURCES: DIY GUIDE: How to Research Companies : How to Research Companies

This is actually easier than most people think. For example,

people often phone Corporate Watch asking for the addresses of

a company's sites in their area, but they hadn't thought of

looking in their phone book! So this basic guide on how to

research a company is an attempt to break down the mystique

surrounding research. Anyone can find out about a company,

with just a little time and imagination. And it's extremely

satisfying to feel you've stitched up a company just by getting to know it better.

This guide relates to researching UK companies. The directories, media and libraries are all British. However, some of the techniques may be transferable to other countries, and of course the web is international.

We assume the reader has access to the world-wide web. Many of

the sources here are available by traditional means (and we give those too), but in this age of technological apartheid, the web makes research both easier and more comprehensive. Even if you don't have a terminal, you probably know someone

who does, or can use one in a library or cyber-café. We also assume that the reader knows basically how to use the web (if not, there are countless people, companies and

books who'd love to tell you!), so we only explain how to apply this to research. Obviously, it's easier to find out about a large company than a small one, and a local company

than a distant one. The smaller and further away they get, the more you will have to use your imagination!